Learn Portuguese (Portugal): O sumo é bom e bebo-o sempre. - The juice is good and I always drink it.

O sumo é bom e bebo-o sempre.

The juice is good and I always drink it.

Breakdown of O sumo é bom e bebo-o sempre.

Questions & Answers about O sumo é bom e bebo-o sempre.

Why is there a hyphen and an -o at the end of bebo?

The -o is a direct object pronoun meaning "it". It is masculine because it replaces the masculine noun o sumo (the juice). In European Portuguese, these pronouns usually attach to the end of the verb with a hyphen in simple affirmative sentences.

How do we know it means "I drink it" if the word eu (I) isn't in the sentence?

The verb beber (to drink) is conjugated here as bebo, which is the eu form. Because the ending of the verb already makes it completely clear who is doing the action, it is very common in Portuguese to drop the subject word entirely.

Why use é (from the verb ser) instead of está (from estar)?

Using é bom describes a permanent or general quality. It means that this kind of juice is inherently good, or juice in general is a good thing. If you used está bom, it would mean the juice happens to taste good right now at this very moment.

Could I put sempre before the verb, just like we say "always drink" in English?

You can, but it changes the pronoun rules! Words like sempre (always) act as "magnets" in Portuguese. If you put it before the verb, it pulls the pronoun to the front and you must drop the hyphen, making it e sempre o bebo. Putting sempre at the end is a great way to practice the standard hyphenated form bebo-o.